INTERNATIONAL SALVAGE UNION
July 2022
Donjon-Smit respond to giant boxship grounding in the US On March 13, 2022, the 334 metre EVER FORWARD was heading outbound within Chesapeake Bay enroute to Norfolk, Virginia when she grounded south of Baltimore outside the Craighill Channel. The vessel left the Channel making about 13-knots, entered shallow water and quickly became grounded on the Bay bottom about three metres out-of-draft. The incident took about 90 seconds. A ’Rapid Assessment Survey’ performed by Donjon-Smit divers and engineers revealed the vessel was hard aground along its entire length with an estimated ground reaction of nearly 20,000 tonnes. The Bay bottom in the area of the grounding is clay and contains numerous oyster shoals. The grounding of the EVER FORWARD eclipsed the largest previous Chesapeake Bay grounding, the USS MISSOURI late in 1950, by over 8,000 tonnes. The EVER FORWARD’s departure condition from Baltimore, liquid and cargo load, massive ground reaction, bottom conditions and asset availability effectively dictated a multi-faceted approach to the safe and effective refloat of the stranded boxhip. The Donjon-Smit team immediately undertook surveys, mobilisation and logistics support for two dredgers to remove and dispose of spoil from around the ship in five zones, to a depth of about 15.2 m. Over a period of 19 days, more than 213,733 cubic yards of spoil were removed and disposed in an environmentally friendly manner. At the same time the contractors assembled two 600 tonnes-capable pull barges in their Port Newark facility. The general arrangement of the two pull barges was a traditional pulling arrangement: two sets of ground tackle to provide the mooring-restraint for two 300 tonnes class chain pullers on a WITTE 1400-Series deck barge and which were connected by equalizing bridles to the
strand. The graphic, right, shows the overall general arrangement of one of the pull barges. The restraint was provided by four-sets of ground tackle, one set connected to each chain puller with each set consisting of two Moorfast anchors rigged in tandem, approximately 10 shots of 3” chain Whilst dredging was still ongoing, 500 containers were lightered in an engineered and managed fashion. Donjon-Smit said it was critical that this portion of the lightering be well thoughtout because hull girder stresses and stability, always a consideration, had to be considered well-ahead to the point when about 5,000 tonnes of ballast
water was discharged. Over a period of 8 days the containers, totaling 7,248 tonnes were removed and sent to Baltimore for backloading after refloat. Ballast water was discharged in the hours immediately prior to the refloat and on April 17, with the aid of 6 tugs, including the 70 tonne bollard pull ATLANTIC SALVOR and 70 tonne Bollard pull ATLANTIC ENTERPRISE, the EVER FORWARD was safely refloated and redelivered to the Port of Baltimore.
2021 ISU statistics The 2021 ISU salvage industry statistics show modest recovery in gross revenues
All numbers are gross income from which all the contractors’ costs must be paid.
• Gross revenue for ISU members - US$ 391 million (2020, US$ 301 million)
ISU President, Captain Nicholas Sloane, said: “The 2021 ISU statistics show a 26 per cent increase in the income received by our members compared with the previous year. Emergency Response services generated US$ 242 million split almost equally between LOF and other contracts - US$ 122 million and US $120 million respectively.
• 189 services provided (2020, 182 services) • Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF) - 29 cases (2020, 40). LOF revenue up at US$ 122 million (2020, US$ 60 million) • Wreck removal income - US$ 108 million from 56 services (2020, US$ 98 million Photo: Action Press / Shutterstock from 101 services)
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‘’Wreck removal income has stayed very similar to the previous year and is still down on the historic proportion of our Continues page 2
2021 ISU statistics continued members’ income - some 50 per cent% which wreck removal typically represents. “Economic conditions are challenging and activity and income for our industry is volatile year-on-year. The general trend towards a smaller number of larger and more complex cases enhances that annual variability. “The numbers in this survey reflect the period when the world was still fully contending with the Covid pandemic which made operations and logistics more challenging. Throughout those difficult times ISU members showed time and again their problem solving and willingness to overcome obstacles to provide services to their clients, the shipowners, and their insurers. And, taken alongside the ISU’s pollution prevention statistics, these numbers demonstrate a dynamic industry which most years performs some 200 salvage services. “Professional salvors protect the
environment, reduce risk and mitigate loss. They also keep trade moving – which is demonstrated so clearly when there are large containership cases. We continue to work closely with key stakeholders to ensure that there is continued global provision of professional salvage services.” The 2021 ISU statistics show a historic low level of LOF cases - 29 for ISU members - generating income of US$ 122 million. It compares with 40 cases worth US$ 60 million in 2019. Revenue from LOF cases amounted to 50 per cent of all emergency response revenue and LOF cases accounted for 15 per cent of emergency response cases in 2021. SCOPIC revenue at US$ 41 million in 2021 was up from US$ 24 million previously. Revenue in 2021 from operations conducted under contracts other than LOF was US$ 120 million, effectively the same as in 2020 (US$ 119 million). The average
revenue from each non-LOF contract was therefore US$ 750,000. Wreck removal is an important source of income for members of the ISU but 2021, with US$ 108 million from 56 operations (28 per cent of the total income), showed the same trend as 2020 (US$ 98 million received from 52 services – 33 per cent of the total). The ISU statistics are collected from all ISU members by a professional third party, which aggregates and analyses them. The statistics do not include the revenues of non-ISU members but are the only formal measure of the state of the marine salvage industry. The statistics are for income received in the relevant year but that can include revenue relating to services provided in previous years and there can be an element of “time lag”. The statistics are for gross revenues from which all of the salvors’ costs must be met.
Gross revenues all sources
LOF and SCOPIC revenue
"Dry" salvage revenue sources
Wreck removal services and revenue
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Members’ News
Picture credits: left, © Lou Besnoit; right © Abeilles International
Boluda
Les Abeilles After several months of transformation, Abeille Normandie and Abeille Méditerranée - now two of the most powerful tugs in the world - were christened in Le Havre and Toulon. More than 600 people were present to celebrate at Le Havre and 400 in Toulon. The event at Le Harve had particular symbolism for Abeilles International because it is where the port and offshore towing company began in 1864. Godmother of Abeille Normandie, Alexia Barrier, was joined for the occasion by Edouard Philippe, former Prime Minister and now Mayor of Le Havre and President of the Le Havre Seine Métropole Urban Community, Philippe Dutrieux, Maritime Prefect of the Channel and the North Sea, Samira Draoua, President of Abeilles International, Dominique Caillé, Chief Executive Officer, as well as Jean-
Louis Bouchard, Chairman of Econocom Group. The new tug, which takes over from the Abeille Languedoc, is ready to sail in less than 40 minutes, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, for towing and assistance missions at sea. In Toulon, godmother of the Abeille Méditerranée, Marie Tabarly, was joined by Hubert Falco, Mayor of Toulon, President of Toulon Provence Méditerranée and former Minister, Vice-Admiral Gilles Boidevezi, Maritime Prefect for the Mediterranean and again by Samira Draoua, Dominique Caillé and Jean-Louis Bouchard.
The Boluda tug VB GUANCHE took part in the Canary Islands’ quartlery exercise for the prevention and control of oil spills along with the shipping company Petrogas. The exercises are carried out in different ports of the Canaries - Las Palmas, Lanzarote, Tenerife and Fuerteventura. On this occasion the exercise took place off the coast of Arrecife, Lanzarote. It is part of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) Project which aims to reduce the risk of maritime accidents and to deal with marine pollution.
This new tug takes over from the Abeille Flandre, and is at the same readiness to sail as her sister ship in the channel. The tugs are 91 m long, 22 m in breadth with a maximum speed of 18 knots, 280 tonnes bollard pull and crews of 12.
Tsavliris On 16 June 2022, the Tsavliris Cultural Foundation Scholarship was awarded to the Masters graduate student Elpida Agapitou during a ceremony at the offices of the Archeological Research Division of the University of Cyprus, in Nicosia. Ms
Agapitou is studying “Field Archaeology on Land and Under the Sea” and was chosen unanimously as Award Scholar of the Tsavliris Cultural Foundation for the academic year 2022 -2023. The ceremony was attended by the Founder George Tsavliris, the President Acis Montanios,
the Honorary Secretary Michael Ierides and Members of the Board of the Tsavliris Cultural Foundation, Panikkos Poutziouris, Stella Demesticha, Zacharias Siokouros, Toula Onoufriou and Secretary Ifigeneia Pratsi.
Continues next page
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Members’ News
Tsavliris continued
George Tsavliris shared his long maritime experience at a Posidonia event for the presentation of Winning Shipping Strategies, a book for students he coauthored with Paul Emmanuelides, a Professor who teaches shipping strategies at Alba University of Athens. The publication develops a comprehensive framework of winning shipping strategies through the application of established Strategic Management theory to the analysis of the shipping industry. Empirical evidence is drawn from case studies of leading firms from the Greek shipping community. In other Posidonia-related news, the 7th Posidonia Shipsoccer Tournament, took place on Sunday 5 June 2022 at the Star Sport Club, Voula. The event brought together the shipping community from all sectors of the maritime industry.
The 28 teams played in 4 groups of 7 teams each. Tsavliris participated with their own team organised by Alexander A. Tsavliris, (back row, third from left in picture bottom of page 3). Multraship Dutch ISU member, Multraship, has won the tender to supply two Emergency Rescue & Towing Vessels (ERTVs) to the Dutch Coastguard for monitoring shipping safety in the southern part of the North Sea. The contract started on 1 July 2022 and will run for 4.5 years, with options for extension. The MULTRASHIP COMMANDER (formerly ALP ACE) will be responsible for the Borssele wind farm. The MULTRASHIP PROTECTOR (formerly ALP IPPON) will also be on stand-by for the wind farms off the Dutch coast. The ERTV GUARDIAN, also deployed by Multraship and based in Den Helder, has
been monitoring the safety of shipping in the northern part of the North Sea since 2016. The operations of these two new ERTVs also fall under the direction of the Coast Guard. "With the use of Multraship's tugs, we have found a good solution to limit the safety risks of offshore wind farms for shipping in the coming years," explains Nicole Kuipers, Director Coast Guard. "In particular, the largest Dutch offshore wind farm Borssele and the wind farms Hollandse Kust are surrounded by shipping lanes and anchorages. This is where the deployment of these two additional ERTVs will be primarily focused." The vessels can be deployed 24/7 from strategic positions in the North Sea to take drifting or distressed vessels in tow to prevent damage to the vessel and the wind farm and to take any drowning persons on board. In addition to their use as towing vessels, the vessels can also be used for search and rescue operations.
Spanopoulos Spanopoulos Group was awarded a contract following an International Invitation to Tender to undertake the removal, recovery and proper disposal of the wreck of the yacht REINE d’ AZUR and any of its parts, pollutants, debris and stores within a 50 metre perimeter. The yacht had suffered a fire and sank in 60m water depth off the northern side of the island of L’Isle Du Levant - France. Spanopoulos deployed its tug CHRISTOS XXXIV (52 tonnes BP) and floating crane IGNATIOS III (400 tonnes lifting capacity) and the antipollution craft ANTIPOLLUTION 1. The floating crane was used during the underwater operations for the installation and later removal of the diving equipment of the subcontracted diving company Eirl Applisub. Fence booms were deployed across the wreck site, covering the wreckage footprint and the complete working area of the crane and diving operations. Absorbent
booms were also deployed in the radius of the working area of the crane’s boom. The lift and temporary placement of the wreck and its waste including the collected
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debris on the barge was successful and an official ROV underwater survey was undertaken in the contracted area was completed to the satisfaction of the French authorities’ representatives.
Associates’ and Affiliates' News
The American Salvage Association The American Salvage Association (ASA) and the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) are seeking students who have “recently demonstrated their passion for the Marine Sciences by participating in a Science or Engineering Fair or class project, either individually or as a team”, to participate in its 10th Annual Marine Sciences Scholarship Competition. Winners will earn scholarship funds to further their education and research in this field. ASA says the competition is intended to highlight the importance of preserving the marine environment through the use of sound environmental practices, raise awareness of the art and science of marine salvage and engineering, and to promote careers within the greater maritime industry and in marine sciences. The deadline is early September and for more information please visit the ASA’s Marine Science Scholarship Competition web page Annual Marine Science Scholarship Competition Solis Solis has opened its third UK office in the city of Hull to add to London and Falmouth as it expands its UK operations. Solis said that the new office gives its team of naval architects, marine engineers and master mariners a “permanent base in the North East of England from which to deliver our range of traditional marine and engineering services to the offshore renewables and shipping sectors.” The region is seeing significant investment in the offshore renewables and marine industries in the Humber ports, Yorkshire coastal ports and Teeside. Solis Marine said it brings to the region an “exceptional track record in the development of offshore renewables and clean shipping.” Renewable energy operations have formed a substantial part of the work of the Solis Marine Engineering team. It includes inshore and offshore installations where mooring systems have been designed and developed to suit the particular requirements of floating installations whether wind or current driven. Solis is also working on a number of
decarbonisation schemes including the development of electric ferries and the transition of existing ships to alternative fuels. Solis Marine Engineering Managing Director Simon Hindley has also become a Group Partner taking on additional responsibilities in relation to the overall direction of the Group, however his role as Managing Director of SME remains unchanged. Waves Group
cargo science, fuel and liquid cargoes, metallurgy and fire investigation. It said that the acquisition of APC in 2019 “further strengthened our ability to serve clients within the master mariner and fuel and liquid cargoes services.” APC’s experts are now fully integrated and can be contacted at Brookes Bell. Brookes Bell now has a team of twelve tanker masters and five fuel chemists, supported by its other interrelated disciplines and its laboratory, offering clients a "single, cost-effective solution to multi-disciplinary incidents and investigations." For the tanker services see this flyer for laboratory facilities see the brochure brand Marine
Picture courtesy Medtugs.
Waves reports that last year at the height of the pandemic it provided services in the case of the KIVELI and AFINA 1 which were in collision off the south coast of Greece. In a busy six weeks there was a successful LOF salvage operation with many parties responding quickly to the emergency. With SCOPIC invoked, Waves Group responded with SCR services on-site, and quickly produced a Casualty Preliminary Advice Report (CASPAR) with its experienced team of naval architects supporting remotely, as the two vessels were initially locked delicately together. Working closely with Medtugs Towage & Salvage on board the AFINA 1 and with all the parties involved, Waves said it was “pleased to be of assistance in bringing these operations to a successful conclusion under challenging circumstances.” Brookes Bell Brookes Bell reports that despite the difficulties of the past two years it has “continued to invest and grow its tanker expertise with the addition of a state-ofthe-art UKAS accredited laboratory facility, based on the Wirral, the acquisition of 3D Marine in the USA and the acquisition of Associated Petroleum Consultants (APC).” Brookes Bell has been providing service to the maritime and energy industries for more than 100 years, offering expertise across engineering, master mariner services, naval architecture, 5
brand MARINE CONSULTANTS (bMC), has added to its naval architecture and marine engineering business with the hire of naval architect Jacek Jażdżejewski (below) who has previously worked for a joint venture partner. He joins bMC as Head of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering from ship design specialist NED-Project Ltd. bMC said Jacek brings with him a “wealth of up-to-date and relevant naval architecture skills which will be of further benefit to valued clients of bMC, particularly on casualty cases requiring modelling or simulations, as well as longer term projects such as new build or refitting.” bMC Managing Director, Captain Dennis Brand, said: "The truth is that we have been keen to have Jacek on our team for some time. He has excellent naval architecture skills and a solid background of ship theory. We know that his skills and knowledge will be a valuable addition to our clients as we further develop the naval architecture and marine engineering side of our business.”
ISU News AGM Arrangements for the 2022 ISU Annual General Meeting and its associated events in Rotterdam are well advanced. The venue is the Rotterdam Marriott Hotel and it is being hosted by ISU members based in and operating in the Netherlands: Multraship, Smit and Boluda. There will be an Executive Committee meeting on 14 September followed that evening by an opening reception. The annual meeting is on 15 September followed by a gala dinner at the splendid Wereldmuseum on the Maas waterfront. There is partners’ programme of local visits and activities throughout and concluding with lunch for all on Friday 16 September. ISU members have been circulated with details and instructions for how to book rooms and events and members will be reminded in in the coming month with a final deadline for confirming attendance in the first week of August. For additional information contact the Secretary General at: ISU@ marine-salvage.com Media interest in marine salvage International broadcaster, the BBC, has shown significant interest in marine salvage recently publishing a substantial feature on its website. Its Emmy Award-winning science programme producers are now planning a documentary series about salvage. They would like to speak to ISU members and others who are willing to participate, perhaps sharing existing footage and facilitating filming on current jobs bringing, the BBC says, “the stories and the science behind some of the most challenging and dramatic salvages to the screen”. If interested, contact the producer at: georgia.sawyer@bbc. co.uk
International Maritime Organisation ISU President, Captain Nicholas Sloane, and Secretary General, James Herbert, met IMO Secretary General, Kitack Lim, (above centre) and IMO Director of Maritime Safety, Heike Deggim, (above far right) and IMO Director of Marine Environment, Arsenio Dominguez, (above far left) to discuss the importance of the marine salvage industry. Mr Lim has his
own experience of operations from the early part of his career in the Republic of Korea. He re-asserted his support for the commercial salvage industry and it was agreed to find new ways to cooperate and for ISU to give a briefing about the industry to a plenary session of IMO later in the year.
ISU Annual Review The ISU Annual Review 2021 is published this week. It contains a President’s foreword giving a tour d’horizon of the industry and there are reports from the secretariat and advisers.
International Salvage Union
Annual Review
2021
The review also publishes the ISU salvage industry statistics for 2021 and the important ISU annual pollution prevention statistics. The association’s accounts are included as well. The Review can be read at: www.marine-salvage.com/documents
Salvage operation in Bangladesh ISU Bangladesh Associate Member, Prantik Bengal Salvage and Diving worked under the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to save the severely damaged 1105 teu boxship MV HAIAN CITY which had been in a collision with the tanker, MV ORION EXPRESS, which left large holes in the ship's hull and significant water ingress. Prantik chairman, Md Golam Sarwar said a 22 feet by 26 feet hole on the hull was causing the main harm to the ship and was fixed by welding a huge 33 feet by 40 feet steel patch by divers below the waterline.
It was decided to bring the casualty into port to avoid the risk of her breaking up in the main channel into Bangladesh. The salvage operation was rendered by six tug boats - four from the CPA and two from Prantik - along with two recovery and pollution control vessels of the Chittagong Port Authority. Because of water in the ship's cargo holds, the draft of the vessel reached 11 metres, 1.5 metres more than the permitted draft of 9.5 metres at the port jetties at river Karnaphuli. Draft at the Karnaphuli Dry Dock on the southern part 6
of river was enhanced through dredging to berth the ship there. Owners declared General Average and after two months the vessel was cleared to continue on a single voyage to Singapore for permanent repair. The local salvage firm certainly did an excellent job by salvaging the badly damaged vessel, said Captain Md Anam Chowdhury, president of the Bangladesh Marchant Marine Officers' Association (BMMOA). "If Prantik was not there, we had to bring expertise and logistics from abroad for rescuing the vessel," he said.
Nippon Salvage - round up of operations In late 2019, JIA DE (1,925 gross tonnes) sank in Tokyo Bay in water depth of 26m during Typhoon Hagibis. In response to a request for removal of fuel oil, Nippon Salvage dispatched a salvage tug HAYASHIO MARU and a multi-purpose barge MISHIMA to the site to carry out the work, which was successfully completed. Following a further request to remove the vessel and recover the steel scrap cargo, Nippon Salvage used a 3000 tonne crane to lift, refloat and remove the freighter in 2020. Nippon noted that as the operation was in Tokyo Bay, an important lane for international sea transport in Japan with a large number of vessels navigating and considerable vessel congestion, the salvors had to deal with various measures urgently demanded by the relevant parties. In February 2022, about 5 miles northwest of Okinoshima Island, Shimane Prefecture, CSL SANTA MARIA (54,80 gross tonnes) suffered an engine failure and drifted toward Okinoshima Island, with a risk of grounding. Nippon Salvage was requested to tow the casualty out to sea and dispatched salvage tugs HAYASHIO MARU (4,000 HP) and KAIRI (6,400 HP) from Moji. HAYASHIO MARU arrived at the site first, and her salvage team boarded the vessel and set up a securing point for towing gear. Subsequently KAIRI arrived and quickly connected the towline with the SANTA MARIA to start towing her toward Yeosu, South Korea where the convoy arrived safely and handed over the vessel to complete the operation. In addition, Nippon Salvage has successfully completed fuel oil extraction from a ship which sank to a depth of 110m in 2020 and another ship that sank to a depth of 80m in 2021 - both to the south of Korea. The operations used 300m saturation diving equipment rigged on the DP operated multi-purpose barge KAISHIN. Nippon Salvage said of the cases reported here that its “active involvement in the extraction and removal of fuel oil and HNS, and removal of the wrecks contributed to prevention of damage to the environment.” 7
Tsavliris conducts underwater repairs on bulker in mid-Atlantic On 17 April 2022, the bulk carrier MAGIC SEAS – dwt 63,500 and laden with 60,500 tonnes of petroleum coke, reported loss of propulsion 170 miles east of Bermuda, while en route from Corpus Christi, Texas, to Izmir, Turkey. On 19 April, Tsavliris were contracted to provide salvage assistance and on the same day the AHTS LP WINGER (BHP 19,000 – BP 218 tonnes) was mobilised from Algeciras, Spain. The salvage team and equipment on board the ALP WINGER consisted of a salvage engineer, riggers, welders, fitters and divers. Three semi-submersible pumps of 100 m3/h each were also placed on board the tug for installation in the casualty’s tailshaft space. On 2 May, the salvage tug arrived at the casualty’s position. Following an inspection by the salvage and dive team, it was found that the tailshaft had sheared off by way of the aft simplex seal and had been lost along with the propeller. Salvors secured the tailshaft from the engine room side and sealed it from both sides by fabricating/installing a steel box on the seaside and a cement box on the engine room side. To reinforce the engine room
structures, additional brackets and vertical stiffeners were welded in place.
IUMI and IG&PI Code of Practice
arrangements with third party casualty response providers as soon as reasonably practicable.
The international group of P&I Clubs and the International Union of Marine Insurance have published their revised Code of Practice and it is reproduced in full here: The following understanding has been reached between the International Group of P&I Clubs (hereinafter called “Liability Underwriters”) and members of the International Union of Marine Insurance (hereinafter called “Property Underwriters”) in relation to all future casualty situations that may give rise to the need for third party salvage services.
Towage to Izmir commenced on 4 May, and after altering course to Gibraltar for provisions and Malta for medical assistance, the convoy arrived at Izmir Bay on 4 June and the operation was completed successfully. Following completion of the discharging
Overall, the salvage operation lasted eight weeks, during which the salvage tugs covered almost 10,000 miles.
• 50% by Property Underwriters (subject to Clause 2b. hereof) b. (i) Property Underwriters shall pay for
c. Establish, where possible, a means of communication between the lead property underwriter(s) and the liability underwriter through identification of the IG P&I Club concerned from an IG of P&I Clubs Search facility such as at: www.igpandi. org/ship-search/. 2. In relation to salvage services under Lloyd’s Standard Form of Salvage Agreement where the Special Compensation P&I Clubs (SCOPIC) Clause has been invoked by the contractor the following provisions will apply:-
50% of the SCR’s fees and disbursements in proportion to the salved value of the subject matter insured. (ii) Should 50% of the SCR’s fees and disbursements exceed the salved value of the ship and cargo less the Article 13 award, Liability Underwriters agree to reimburse such excess proportion of the said SCR’s fees and disbursements to the owners of the vessel. c. In the event the Liability Underwriters pay the fees and disbursements of the SCR on behalf of the owner of the vessel, the
a. Suggest their assured to immediately notify their liability underwriter of the occurrence with details of its severity in terms of risk to property and potential third-party liabilities.
a. Whereas the primary liability for paying the fees and disbursements of the Special Casualty Representative (“SCR”) rests upon the owner of the vessel, it is agreed that the owner of the vessel shall be reimbursed such fees and disbursements, subject always to the Club Rules and the terms and conditions of Club cover and the terms of any insurance policy or policies covering the salved property, in the following proportions:
b. Encourage conclusion of any contractual
• 50% by Liability Underwriters
1. In the event of a casualty or other occurrence giving rise to the insured vessel requiring assistance such as but not limited to a salvage response, the property underwriter will:
operation on 7 June, Tsavliris deployed the AHTS LEADER Z (BHP 10,800 – BP 131 tonnes) from her base at Piraeus, to tow the vessel to Piraeus. The convoy arrived OPL Piraeus on 13 June and was safely berthed on the same day at Salamis Shipyard with the assistance of two tugs.
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property underwriters will, where practicable, reimburse their above proportion of those fees and disbursements agreed by them, whether interim or final, directly to the liability underwriter concerned within 28 days of a payment request. 3. This is a Code of Practice which Liability Underwriters and Property Underwriters shall recommend to their Members and it is not intended that it should have any legal effect.
Boluda - firefighting and rescue tow In June two tugs from the Boluda Towage fleet based in the port of Invergordon, on the northeast coast of Scotland, assisted the coaster SCOT MARINER (2594GT) which had suffered main engine failure and dropped anchor in the Inner Moray Firth. Boluda STRATHDEE and STRATHDON tugs towed the vessel from its anchorage location to the port of Inverness (below right), helping it berth on arrival. In April storm Celia passed through Valencia leaving damage in its wake including a metal cage with a diameter of more than 20 metres which broke loose from a fish farm located off the coast, next to the port of Valencia. The structure was stranded on the beach of Pinedo, near the Albufera natural park. The intervention of the Boluda tug VB PODER saw the cage safely towed to the harbour basin.
Valencia. Fortunately, the 8,000 litres of fuel did not burn and there were no spills, injuries or damage to other vessels.
Also in April, a French-flagged yacht of 25 metres in length caught fire due to a failure in its electric batteries, while moored in the North Marina of the port of
The VB PODER, used its fi-fi equipment with complete precision to helping to extinguish a fire that at times seemed uncontrollable by the shore crews (above).
Resolve operations Off the coast of Vietnam, a 3,000 teu container ship reported a fire within its forward deck containers. Resolve Marine mobilized a salvage team from Singapore, along with local salvors and firefighters, to control the incident and extinguish the fire (right). The vessel then berthed and discharged at a terminal in Vung Tau, Vietnam. On the other side of the world, a loaded general cargo vessel grounded on a sandy bank in the Bahamas, and the tug RESOLVE COMMANDER was mobilized together with a salvage master and salvage officer from Freeport, Bahamas to assist. Initial attempts to free the vessel were unsuccessful and two additional tugs were engaged. After extensive propeller washing work, the vessel was safely refloated nine days after the grounding (right). Resolve Marine’s SMFF team was called into action recently to respond to a grounded oil tanker off the coast of Galveston, Texas. A salvage master was mobilized from greater Houston to oversee the operation and a resource partner tug was on the scene within 24 hours to safely refloat the vessel. 9
Report of recent operations from Philippines member, Harbor Star 1
1. SUNNY LINK fully loaded, grounded and sagging 2. Buckled up side shell plate. 3. INFINITY high and dry 4. Lighening operations of AMBITION JOURNEY.
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A 10,747.90 dwt bulk carrier, SUNNY LINK, loaded with 10,056 tons of stainless-steel slabs grounded at Agno Bay, Pangasinan, Northwest Philippines. She suffered structural damage in the midship with cracks and holes on the side shell causing the vessel to sag. The sagging condition of the vessel is clearly visible from the deformed steel plating on both port and starboard sides. Her cargo holds were both flooded with sea water and oil. Harbor Star expertly and carefully unloaded all 471 slabs preventing the vessel from hoggin and splitting in two. Oil spill was prevented and all the cargo was successfully transferred to another vessel. SUNNY LINK was refloated and was delivered for scrapping. A number of casualties were caused by Typhoon Odette in December 2021. MY INFINITY, a diving boat, was totally beached and heavily grounded near the residences of Barangay Pusok, located in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. Both her propellers
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and rudders were heavily damaged. The motor yacht was then successfully refloated and delivered to a shipyard for repair.
was eventually towed to a nearby shipyard for scrapping. Rodrigo Bella said: it was “Another achievement by the Harbor Star salvage team.”
Research Vessel WAKASETO had been moored in the Yacht Club at the port of Mactan, Cebu when she was swept and dragged by strong winds causing her to sink near Cebu Pier 2. Her stern was found sitting in the muddy seabed. The vessel incurred multiple cracks and holes in various locations damaging the integrity of her buoyancy tanks which resulted in the sinking. After the successful refloating operations by Harbor Star, she was delivered to a shipyard for scrapping.
Supramax bulk carrier AMBITION JOURNEY, was loaded with 49,550 tonnes of nickel ore while sailing from loading port Homonhon, Philippines to her port of delivery Tieshan, China, when her bottom accidentally scraped over an unknown object. As a result of the incident, two of the five cargo holds started flooding with oil and sea water. Her ballast tanks and fuel oil tanks were all contaminated.
MV YUME, a small ferry, was also in the port of Mactan, Cebu when she capsized near Cebu Pier 2 due to the typhoon. After the inspection by Harbor Star divers, her mast and super structure were found submerged in the muddy seabed. The engine room and buoyancy tanks had sustained major damage causing her to capsize. From the seabed, she was dragged to a deeper location for righting operations. After successful refloating she 10
To save both ship and cargo and prevent possible pollution, she was intentionally grounded in Guiuan-South-East of Samar Island, East of Tacloban City, Philippines. All the nickel ore was then transferred to barges and returned to Homonhon island for disposal. She was successfully refloated and towed to Davao for sheltering as Guiuan is frequently affected by typhoons. Eventually the vessel was scrapped. Harbor Star together with its co salvor T&T Salvage successfully performed this salvage operation.
International Monitor European Union
International casualties
Seafarers
European Maritime Safety Agency has published its first comprehensive report confirming the impact of collective effort in improving maritime safety in the EU. It comes two decades after the devastating Erika and Prestige accidents, during which time the European maritime safety framework has evolved to become one of the most robust in the world, according to the European Maritime Safety Report (EMSAFE).
Maritime authorities in France and the Navy responded to reports of a fire and explosion aboard an MSC containership sailing in the Mediterranean. Three crewmembers were medevac-ed including two who are reported to be in serious condition.
The International day of the seafarer was celebrated on June 25 with a social media campaign led by IMO to encourage recognition of seafarers by sharing “then” and “now” pictures to demonstrates their own career voyage. For a selection odd pictures visit:
The MSC RACHELE, an older containership, was between Naples and Fos near Marseille when a fire broke out in the engine room with reports of an explosion that injured the members of the crew. The first teams aboard reported that the fire on the 107,466 dwt vessel seemed to be under control but that the vessel was drifting without power.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/imo-un/ albums/72177720300052392
One of the key pillars of the EU safety framework is port state control, which results in over 14,000 vessel checks each year by inspectors in EU ports, complemented by legislative initiatives like the specific EU survey regime for RoPax and high-speed craft, and the obligation for Member States to report and monitor accidents centrally for analysis and development of preventive actions. “Today’s report stands testimony to how the EU’s efforts to ensure maritime safety have been effective in preventing accidents and ensuring a high level of harmonised safety rules across the Union. At the same time, a single maritime accident can have catastrophic consequences for human life and the marine environment, so continuous vigilance and improvement remain essential. I welcome this worthwhile initiative, which provides an essential guide to the maritime safety situation and the issues with which we are confronted,” said EU Transport Commissioner, Adina Vălean. According to the report, maritime safety will continue to pose challenges in the short and medium term, not only in managing the current fleet, but also in the areas of digitalisation, emerging technologies, and sustainability. The sector’s efforts to reach emission targets as part of the European Green Deal are also linked to maritime safety, especially given that the use of new fuels (hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, and biofuels) and power technologies (batteries and fuel cells) need to be underpinned by adequate safety standards. In addition, the number of alternatively fuelled vehicles, including electric cars, increased by 29% between 2019 and 2021 in the EU, meaning that both passenger and cargo ships need to prepare for the safety risks of transporting more of these vehicles.
In late June, firefighters in Belgium wrestled with a stubborn cargo fire on a bulker docked at the port of Ghent which burned for more than a day with impact for the local residents and drivers due to the thick smoke in the area. The bulker LOWLANDS MIMOSA was at the Sifferdok in Ghent. The 63,939 dwt vessel was said to be loaded with a cargo of scrap metal. The crew of the vessel had attempted to fight the fire before calling for assistance. Firefighters were concerned with the vessel’s stability due to firefighting water building up in the holds. 13 people lost their lives and more than 250 were injured when a toxic cloud of poisonous chlorine gas was released in a loading accident in the Jordanian port of Aqaba on the Red Sea. It appeared that a cannister fell while being craned onto waiting trucks. Chlorine is heavier than air so stays close to the ground and does not easily dissipate.
The value of seafarers is underestimated by society and many have experienced great difficulty and hardship in the pandemic with particular concern about inability to effect crew-changes leaving seafarers at sea for more than a year with great impact on family life, mental health and ship safety. ISU has added its voice to those call ing for recognition of seafarers – many ISU members have their own vessels and are employers of seafarers. Noting the Day of the Seafarer, ISU Affiliate Member Intermanger's Secretary General, Captain Kuba Szymanski, highlighted areas for improvement: • Seafarer safety – especially enclosed spaces and lifeboat safety • Inclusion and diversity – “we are a truly global business but sometimes we forget to include everyone. There must not be an attitude of ‘my way or the gangway’.” • Tackle abuse – abuse of hours of work, abuse of each other, abuse of position • De-criminalise seafarers – provide legal support for the workforce not just the owners.
At least 12 people lost their lives when an engineering vessel that was supporting offshore wind farms near Hong Kong foundered in a typhoon. A number of workers were saved by Chinese search and rescue operations. Officials said the vessel had moved to a safe anchorage to ride out the approaching storm but dragged its anchors and then broke the anchor chains. Winds at the time were approaching BF 12 with waves of three to four meters. The anchorage was approximately 18 nautical miles offshore from Guangdong.
INTERNATIONAL SALVAGE UNION Salvage World is produced by the International Salvage Union ISU, Beaufort House, 15 St Botolph Street London EC3A 7BB Email: ISU@marine-salvage.com
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